Desilting machine



Sept. 16, 1941. c. H. PLUMLEE DESILTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1940 a. fig

Patented Sept. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DESILTING MACHINE Carl B. Plumlee, Fort Peck, Mont. Application January 26, 1940, :Serial No. 315,781

' Claims. (01.209-211) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April a0, 1928; 370 o. G. 757) This invention described herein may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention generically relates to a mechanism for hydraulically separating material, more specifically it is directed to an improved desilting apparatus adapted to be used in connection with hydraulic dredging operations for the purpose of separating the finer from the courser particles of the dredged material as it is drawn through the dredge line, the separation being accomplished without interrupting r otherwise affecting the continuity of the dredging operation.

Gne object of this invention is to provide a desilting apparatus of the character designated which is adapted to be inserted and operated in the pipe line of a hydraulic or suction dredge installation and which embodies means for separating the finer from the courser particles of the material in the mixture of water and solids drawn through the pipe line and additional means for directing the respective particles along separate paths within the apparatus to suitably arranged discharge outlets.

Another object of this invention is to affor a desilting apparatus which although embodying the fundamentals of a centrifugal pump assembly differs from the latter in that its casing includes intake and discharge paths tangent tothe periphery of the runner and a supplemental path to the exterior of the casing through the runner whereby the courser particles will pass around theinterior of the casing and discharge through the tangential discharge path while the finer particles will travel through the runner to the exterior of the casing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a desilting apparatus of the type indicated having intake and discharge ports opening into paths tangent to the periphery of a runner, the latter having therein a central opening in communication with the exterior of the apparatus, whereby the amount of material separated from the mixture of water and solids entering the apparatus will be determined by the velocity of fiow through the runner to the exterior of the apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide a desilting apparatus having a runner or impeller provided with a plurality of curved vanes defining a series of passages converging to a common outlet. central of therunner and concentric with ing, whereby the mixture of water and solids entering'the casing may pass through either the converging passages of the runner and discharge through its central opening or may travel around the runner within the casing from the intake to the discharge opening of the apparatus.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists in certain novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be more fully hereinafter described and and solids entering the casing after separation from the courser particles pass through the runner and exit through the, central discharge open ing while the courser particles of the material passing around the impeller will discharge throughthe tangential discharge opening in the direction of impeller rotation.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing in which corresponding parts are indicated by similar reference characters:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the desilting apparatus constituting the subject matter of the instant application and Fig; 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The solid material in the mixture of water and solids entering the casing is divided into course and fine particles by virtue of the fact that the courser particles have a greater fall velocity through Water than the finer particles or the material, hence the amount of solid material carried by the water flowing through the runner will be determined by the velocity of the flow. In other words, particles having fall velocities through waterless than the velocity of the water discharging through the runner will be carried along with the flow to the central discharge opening, whereas particles having greater fall velocities instead of passing through the runner, travel around the interior of the casing and exit through the tangential discharge opening.

With thepreceding principle of operationv in a similarly dimensioned outlet formed in the cas 557 mind and referring to the illustrated embodi- 'intosupplementaldischarge pinelh .1

ment of this invention A indicates a casing and B a runner centrally mounted within the casing.

Casing A which is substantially circular in for: mation consists of upper and lower sections I and 2, which are flanged connected as at 3; front.

and rear plates 4 and 5 having therein centrally arranged discharge and bearing open n s 6 and .1 respectively; transversely arcuate peripheral As previously stated the separation of the fineand coarse particles of the mixture entering the casing and the direction of the separated particles along two paths of flow is based on the fall velocity of the particles through water. Particles having fall velocities through Water less 7 thanthe velocity of thewater discharging through runnerB are carried alongwith the flow through the converging runnerpaths l8 into supplemental discharge pipe 24, while those having greater fall Velocities instead of passing through the runner,

7 continue around the casing and exit inthe'dione above the other and open into passages tangent to the periphery of runner B as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. 5 Runner 3 is .rotatablymounted centrally of ,casingA and includes front and rearshrouds l5 and 55. between which are positioned runner vanes '11. These vanes are curved in a counter- "clockwise direction and coact to provide aseries of passages l8 which converge inwardly from the periphery of the runner toa common outlet 19. opening into discharge-orifice formed in "the hub of front shroud l5 and located concen-' tric Withfthe' central discharge opening .6 in casing A} as clearly shown in Fig 2 of the drawing.

, Runner B is aflixed on the inner end of 'a drive shaft 22 which is adapted tobe driven by any suitable prime-mover. .Toeffect. this mounting rear shroudfllfi of .runnerB has its b med with; an internally threadedre'cess 2| toreceive the externally threaded-and reduced end 2H1 of d'rivegshaft, 22. Shaft ;22gis suitably mounted iin a bearing assembly .23; positioned in the bearing .5 I 'on n al folimedrinthelearr plate 5 the 1' ing, as shownin Fig.2 of thedrawing.

I, In order to insert the instant apparatus in the pipe line of a hydraulic dredge-installation,

the free ends of the,1two. :pipe line sections (not shown); extend 110111 1311? .draghead tothe in.-'.

talge opening ID of. casin A. and from flredge puprpstothe disohar eopening ll .ofrsaid case ing and are adaptedto be attached to, the flanges ;v and i3 su ound ngsaid, opem sa. as will be nderstood. without furthe discuss o convey he fine-nartic1es;.of material passing hrou h he u nerto a'suitable pointoineposi flange it surro nd n pening-1t i he. trou .o edto 3 the flan ed plate of casing Ais. eon

so nine. ,4.as. shown nd o esupp ementa ch.

in' F g.2 of thedr Wi .v Inthis c nnection. it

i to-e e 'nq ed that. the. iameters o th. n. and. d s h e o e ings wand. H ITQEP are hesen e as thatgof. he central dischar e openin fi casine A,-

tter ng described, the tm tu al det i sp t s inv nt ahs opera ions a fo lows Assuming the apparatus to be connected as hereinbefore stateid to the i htake and discharge sections of a jhydraulic fp'ipe lineand that run er. B is be ng driven inan'anticlockwise direction,

asfshown 'injFig/ 1;tnen the mixture of water ancl solids entering "casing A throughinta'ke opening It and travellingIin;the"direction in which 0 the runnerB is rotating, Wil-l hav'e*'two-possible pathseof e'xit 'f-rom' the casing, thatisto say, it

may p'ass around-the periphery of casing A and discharge through 'open-ing, l-|-..or passithrough thellrunnero and. discharge: lthrough :opening' 6 effective in hydraulic fill operations in which a mixture of water and solids is pumped from' a borrow pit through a pipe line to a fill area. In

rectorof runner rotation through discharge opening ll. Thus the proportion of material taking the runner path intodisoharge pipe 24 de-f pends upon the velocityof flow through the runner which in turn is a function of runner speed. This apparatus has been found to be very this type of dredging. the desilting apparatus is adapted to be installedinthe pipe line near or on the dredge and the finer particles of the material removed. fromthe mixture are wasted into the excavated portion of the borrow pit.

In dredging zoperations wherein booster pumps .are used theinstant apparatus may be installed at any point in the pipe line provided that the fluid pressurelwithin the dredge pipe at the selected location exceeds the pressure within the wasteline by' not less than the pressure generated by the runner when mum speed.

are to be piped to, a remote point the apparatus is located atthe most economical point in the dredge pipe. The'pipe' between the dredge and the desilting apparatus is larger than that be tween the desilting apparatus and fill area. The

optimum ratio of the two pipe. sizesjdepends upon the percentage of fluid removedby the desilting apparatus. fluid velocityis, normally the same in all pipes under average operating conditions;

.-is.;especially applicable tolhydraulic dredge, fill" V n. an a n r eii ia'w th h ee i u o he f supplemental discharge opening central thereof, e

a run- 'ner rotatably; mounted within the casing and having -a- 'central opening communicating with asaiizl'isupplementali discharge openin said Inlconclusion it"will be apparent'this .inven 'f tion providesan apparatus embodying butjew parts; furnishesflan economical means for -removing the line material fromxthe. mixture of water and solids flowing through the pipeline;

operations, such as. the construction of earth dams, wherein close control of the fines is neces; V sary; is equally useful in dredging for sandto be a used. in concrete construction; worhand final y 1 t. afifordsl apparatus Whi,oh-wi1 effe t a .conti us senra i of th finer nd. oarse pa cles of the material entering the-casing without dredging operations.

liaving des ribed myl i nven tio ll wh g claim as new an wish .to secure by Letters Patent is:

; f1. A de'js lting apparatus adapted tob'e inserted; in thepipeline of a hydrauliodredge installation 7 and comprising a casing including front and'rear' plates, and .a peripheral'section, the latter being 'form ed' with tangential intake and discharge openings jsaid front' plate of" the "casing havinga loperating at its maxi;

When the fineriparticles of they dredged material are to be wasted,-the desilting machine is. in talled on the dredge. plant or on a separate floatin p ant nea the dredge. Y When the fines Pipe sizes are selected so that the r runner including a plurality of curved vanes, whereby the finer particles of the material in the mixture of water and solids entering the tangential intake opening will be directed along a path of flow through the runner to the supplemental discharge opening in the casing, while the coarser particles will be caused to travel around the interior of the casing to the tangential discharge opening therein.

2. A desilting apparatus of the character described adapted to be inserted in the pipe line of a hydraulic dredge installation and comprising a casing including front and rear plates and a peripheral portion, the latter having therein tangential intake and discharge openings, said front plate being centrally formed with a supplemental discharge opening, a runner rotatably mounted in the casing, said runner embodying front and rear shrouds, a series of vanes between the shrouds, said vanes being curved in an anticlockwise direction, and coacting to provide a plurality of passages through the runner terminating in an opening formed centrally of the runner and disposed in alignment with said supplemental discharge opening, whereby the finer particles of the material in the mixture of water and solids adapted to enter the tangential intake opening in said casing, will be separated from the coarser particles, the finer particles flowing through the runner to the supplemental discharge opening and the coarser particles traveling around the casing to the tangential discharge opening.

3. A desilting apparatus adapted to be inserted in the pipe line of a hydraulic dredge installation, comprising a casing including front and rear plates and a peripheral section, said peripheral section having therein tangential intake and discharge openings, a runner rotatably mounted within the casing, said runner including front and rear shrouds, a plurality of vanes,

between the shrouds, said vanes being curved in an anticlockwise direction, and having a series of passages through the runner, said passages converging from the periphery of the runner to a common discharge outlet formed in its front shroud, and in alignment with a supplemental discharge opening formed in the front plate of said casing, whereby the finer particles of the material in the mixture of water and solids adapted to enter the tangential intake opening in said casing, will be separated from the coarser particles,

the finer particles flowing through the runner to the supplemental discharge opening and the coarser particles traveling around the interior of the casing to the tangential discharge open- 4. A desilting apparatus adapted to be inserted in the pipe line of a hydraulic dredge installation, comprising a casing including front and rear plates, and a peripheral section having therein tangential intake and discharge openings, a drive shaft journalled in the rear plate and having its inner end extending into the casing, a runner affixed to the inner end of said drive shaft, said runner embodying front and rear shrouds, and a plurality of vanes between the shrouds, the vanes being curved in an anticlockwise direction and coacting to form a series of passages through the runner, said passages converging from the periphery of the runner to a central orifice formed in the front shroud and disposed concentric with a supplemental discharge opening formed in the front plate of said casing, whereby the finer particles will be separated from the coarser of the material in the mixture of water and solids adaptedto enter the casing in the direction of rotation of the runner, the finer particles flowing through the runner to the supplemental discharge opening and the larger particles passing around the interior of the casing and discharging in the direction of rotation through the discharge opening in said casing.

5. In a desilting apparatus, the combination with a casing including laterally spaced plates and peripheral section having therein tangential intake and discharge openings, one of said plates having therein a supplemental discharge opening; of means in connection with the casing for separating the finer from the coarser particles of material in the mixture of water and solids adapted to be delivered to the casing through its intake opening, said means including a rotary runner having a central outlet communicating with said supplemental discharge opening, whereby the separated particles may be caused to travel along independent paths of flow, one path extending through the runner and terminating in the supplemental discharge opening, the other path extending around the interior of the casing and terminating in the tangential discharge opening.

CARI; H. PLUMLEE. 

